


Endure: A Post-Blight Short Story

by AthenaTseta



Series: A Story of 1000 Words [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Dalish Elves, Dragon Age Lore, F/F, Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Other, Post-Blight, Post-Canon, Post-Dragon Age: Origins, Pre-Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 13:50:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20816189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaTseta/pseuds/AthenaTseta
Summary: After the events of "I Will Call You Home," Leliana encounters an old friend, and some advice she's not ready to hear.





	Endure: A Post-Blight Short Story

_9:32 Dragon_

Leliana trudged through the rain, her gratefulness for the horse eclipsed by her distaste for the weather. Elgar trotted next to her, tongue hanging out as he kept time with the muffled clip-clop of the horse beside him.

“Nothing dampens your mood, does it, boy?” she asked, smiling when the dog barked happily in response.

She still wasn’t sure how she felt about Renya sending Elgar with her; she was glad for the company, but wondered if Renya – going to investigate darkspawn activity in Amaranthine – would have benefit more from Elgar’s presence.

With a sigh, Leliana let her thoughts stray to the past few days. They had spent months traveling across Ferelden with careless ease, until they had taken a rest at a small town in the Bannorn, where Leliana had run into Sister Hildegard at the Chantry. She had almost gotten out of the Chantry before the sister caught her, but Hildegard had sidled up to her.

_“Sister Leliana,” she had said, pressing a piece of paper into her hand. “I didn’t expect to run into you so soon. The Grand Cleric in Val Royeaux wishes to see you.”_

_“How did you find me?” Leliana had said with a frown. “It is hard to believe you’d run into me by chance.” Hildegard had shaken her head at that._

_“The Grand Cleric has sent a message to all the Chantries. She is intent on finding you.”_

_“I see.”_

Renya hadn’t been fooled by Leliana’s cheerful demeanor after she had left the building. Her face darkened when Leliana told her Hildegard’s message.

_“But the Grand Cleric will have to wait,” Leliana had said with a toss of her head. “We were planning on going to Val Royeaux eventually anyway, no? I will ask for an audience at my own convenience.” She felt a little uneasy at the assertion, but it had been worth it to see the tension melt from Renya’s jaw. Her heart broke and swelled when she heard Renya’s response._

_“Thank you.”_

So, when Ser Mhairi had appeared and had requested Renya return to Amaranthine, it seemed that Leliana had no other choice than to continue to Val Royeaux alone. While Leliana could have begged forgiveness for travel plans, she didn’t think the Grand Cleric’s forgiveness would extend to purposefully avoiding Val Royeaux with another – potentially long – engagement.

And so they had parted. Leliana wondered if Renya had arrived in Amaranthine yet, and if the issue with the Grey Wardens would be simple to resolve.

_Probably not,_ she thought, making a face. She might not know many things about the Wardens, but it seemed like nothing to do with the Order was ever simple to resolve.

A rustle in the trees caught her attention, and she pulled up her horse quietly. Elgar had heard it, too, and he was looking around with his ears back, growling slightly. Out from the shadows of the trees, and arrow whizzed by, narrowly missing Leliana’s head as she twitched out of the way.

Two elves melted out of the shadows, bows drawn and pointed at her. She raised her hands innocently.

“What are you doing here, shem?”

Leliana’s heart was racing. She decided to be honest. It seemed the Dalish wanted nothing more and nothing less, to judge from her interactions with Renya and Lanaya’s clan.

“I-I am passing through to Val Royeaux,” she said. “I… didn’t mean to pass so close to your clan. I mean you no harm.” She swallowed and took a gamble. “My… a friend of mine is Dalish… She would want me to say… to say ‘andaran atish’an.’”

The one elf’s ears twitched a little. Her eyes narrowed. “You speak Elvish?”

“Only a few words, I’m afraid.”

The other elf scoffed. “I have heard of no Dalish befriending a shemlen,” he spat. He pulled his bow more tautly.

“Please,” Leliana said swiftly, raising her hands in front of her a little more. “Her name is Renya Mahariel. She is from the Sabrae clan, and…”

As one, the bows lowered.

“You know Renya Mahariel?” the first elf asked. She turned to her friend. “We must take her to the Keeper.”

The other elf hesitated, but finally nodded. “Vin, yes. He will want to see you. Come, shem.”

And so Leliana found herself being escorted through the woods by two Dalish hunters until they reached a small clearing dotted with aravels and a few campfires. She was commanded to dismount, and did so in a hurry. Her horse was gently led away by an elf she assumed was the halla-herder, but despite any entreaties, Elgar refused to leave her side. Eventually the elves relented and she was led over to where a middle-aged elf was seated.

“Hahren Ascal,” the one hunter said, nodding to him. “We found this human in the woods. She says she knows Renya Mahariel.”

The Keeper looked at Leliana with his eyebrows slightly raised. “Do you? We know another friend of Renya Mahariel. She has been with us for a few months, and has proven to be an able mage, so much that she has become the second of the clan.” He looked at her expectantly.

“I… Nyviel is here?” Leliana said. The Keeper smiled, his dark eyes shining knowingly. He turned to the hunters. “Leave this human. She is the one Nyviel has spoken about, and is a friend to the elves.”

With a surprised glance at Leliana, the hunters gave a little bow to the keeper and left.

“Andaran atish’an, friend of the elves. Let me welcome you to the Feyrith clan. I am Hahren Ascal. I imagine you have come to visit your friend?”

“I… Thank you. I am Leliana. And... I actually did not know your clan was here,” Leliana said honestly. “I am on my way to Orlais. I-I would love to see her, however, if she is able to spare a few minutes.”

“Of course,” Ascal said. “My first, Rora, will show you to her.” He indicated a younger elf sitting close by, who looked up at hearing his name. He looked annoyed to be disturbed, and his glare rested on Leliana for a moment before standing up.

“This way,” he said brusquely before setting off across the camp. He led Leliana to where a few mages were practicing. The elf teaching them was very animated, her blue eyes sweeping around the mages as she seamlessly moved from demonstration to explanation, to gentle correction. She glanced up and nodded at Rora, and then did a double-take when she saw Leliana next to him.

“Take a break,” she said to the students, who immediately stopped their spellcasting and followed their teacher’s gaze, glancing at each other at the smile that slowly split Nyviel’s features.

Nyviel jogged up to her. “Leliana!” she exclaimed happily, grabbing Leliana’s upper arms in Dalish greeting before pulling her into a tight hug. Leliana smiled and hugged back. She pulled away and looked at her friend.

“You look wonderful,” Leliana said. “And you’re the second?”

Nyviel nodded excitedly. “Lanaya was right. They’re interested in the arcane knowledge I got from the… the elf in the Dalish ruins,” she said, lowering her voice respectfully. “And it seems that my training at the Circle was more formalized than anything the Dalish usually have. I earned my place,” she said, with a glance at Rora, who nodded stiffly before excusing himself.

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Leliana said, patting Nyviel on the shoulder. The elf’s eyes crinkled with her smile. She nodded her head toward a few seats by a smoldering fire. They walked over and sat.

“So… where’s Renya? Weren’t you traveling together?”

“Yes, but… she’s been called back to Amaranthine on Warden business.”

Nyviel blinked at her. “So… why aren’t you with her?”

A little silence fell, and Leliana couldn’t help but notice the calculating look on Nyviel’s face. “I… received a message from the Grand Cleric in Val Royeaux. We decided that it would be better if I continued on to Orlais while she sorted out the Warden business, and I would meet her after.” She tried not to show her irritation at Nyviel’s expression.

Finally Nyviel sighed. “You’re not going to be able to split yourself in two forever, Leliana,” she said.

Leliana frowned. “What do you mean?” Nyviel looked at her in disbelief.

“First Renya was an elf and you were a human, and you were able to bridge that gap. Now she is a Warden and you are of the Chantry.”

“I was always ‘of the Chantry,’” Leliana replied, a little stung.

“Do you think the Grand Cleric is merely enquiring after your health?” Nyviel deadpanned. “Don’t you think she’s going to want something from you? And then what?”  
Leliana stayed quiet, considering what to say next. But Nyviel shook her head slightly.

“One day, Leliana, you’re going to have to choose between the Chantry and the people you care about.” She narrowed her eyes at the bard thoughtfully. “I wonder what you will eventually choose.”

“You wonder what I will choose?” Leliana repeated indignantly, crossing her arms. “What kind of question is that?”

“A poorly-timed one, it seems. Forget I said anything,” Nyviel replied with a little sigh. “Renya believes you have a good heart, and that you’ll follow it. So of course that’s what you’ll do.”

“Do you think I don’t feel awful? But what could I do?”

Nyviel raised her eyebrows slightly, but then shrugged. “You’re doing all you can do.”

Leliana had the feeling that Nyviel was now humoring her just to avoid an argument, but she forced herself to drop her arms.

“I owe my life to the Chantry, Nyviel,” she said quietly, looking at her knees. She shook her head slightly. “What else can I do when they ask for a favor in return?”

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and glanced up to find Nyviel watching her seriously. Her expression was so grave that, for a moment, Leliana remembered another elf with tattoos on her face, sitting beneath a tree in Lothering, singing to herself, so long ago.

“Don’t let them hold that over your head forever, Leliana.”

Leliana didn’t respond, clenching her jaw.

“Renya saved your life, too. She saved all of our lives. Is she going to collect on that?”

The bard frowned. “Of course not.”

Nyviel sighed. “Don’t let them hold that over your head forever, Leliana.”

“They wouldn’t,” Leliana said confidently.

“But would you let them if they did?”

“Nyviel,” Leliana said seriously, straightening and covering the elf’s hand. “They wouldn’t. The message was about darkspawn; it’s possible the Grand Cleric just wants to know about the reality of the Fifth Blight. Nothing to worry about.” She tried to smile, but it felt forced. “Really, you’d think that you hadn’t been a follower of the Chant, yourself.”  
“I see how much it’s taken from others,” Nyviel replied, nodding at the camp they were in. “And unapologetically so.”

Leliana sighed. “It will be a simple visit to the Grand Cleric, and then I will be able to retire happily with Renya, as the arlessa of Amaranthine or the bonded of a Grey Warden or wherever we decide to be.”

Nyviel smiled and gave Leliana’s shoulder a squeeze before releasing her. “I hope you’re right, Leliana. We all deserve a happy ending, don’t we?”

***

Leliana stayed in the camp for two more days, enjoying the company of Nyviel and the other Dalish elves, who warily accepted her after her first night with them. She had been honored when the elves, upon seeing her Dalish-crafted bow, had gifted her with Elvhen-flight arrows before she left them.

“For your journey,” the master craftsman had said. “As a gift of goodwill from the Feyrith clan.”

“Ma serannas,” Leliana had replied, to the approving smiles of the elves.

Nyviel had embraced her warmly. “May Ghilan’nain watch your steps and Sylaise guide you home… soon, Leliana,” she said with a soft smile. “May the Maker watch over you.”

Leliana smiled. “May He watch over us all.”

As she rode away, Elgar once again by her side, Leliana turned over in her mind what Nyviel had said to her. She shook her head, tossing her hair out of her face. She would return soon. Of course she would. A simple errand to discuss the Blight, that was all.

What else could the Chantry possibly ask of her?

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back, guys! So many people wanted some post-Blight story that, while I work on things for Awakenings, I wanted to post this short scene. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ***  
Some folks have asked if I write original fiction, and if so, where to find it. Well, I'm currently writing a book, and you can follow all those shenanigans (and read some original fiction) on my newly-launched writing blog. For some reason links are not working, but it is insidethewritersblock.home.blog, or you can say hello over on Twitter (my handle is @ AlixIsAllWrite)


End file.
